20 students injured as mortar hits primary school in Myanmar’s Rakhine state

Representational image (Photo: IStock)


At least 20 students were injured after a mortar launched by the Arakan Army, a local insurgent group, hit a primary school in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, according to the authorities.

In the early hours of Thursday, members of the Arakan Army attacked a group of Myanmar military personnel during in the state’s Buthidaung township.

The security forces returned fire, forcing the rebels to retreat. While retreating, they launched mortar fires.

On February 11, at least 15 people were killed after a boat carrying Rohingya refugees capsized in the Bay of Bengal.

The boat capsized in the wetland, known as Kaliakutha haor. It carried onboard dozens of wedding party guests and overturned under inclement weather.

In 2017, four Rohingya migrants were killed after a boat carrying them capsized off the coast of Bangladesh close to its border with Myanmar.

Nearly 200 Rohingya have drowned since August 29 in over two dozen boat capsizes while trying to flee from conflict-hit Myanmar.

The Arakan Army, a rebel group fighting for the rights of ethnic Rakhine people in Myanmar, clashes with the Myanmar military regularly and has been designated as a terrorist group by the government.